The present technique relates generally to invasive procedures, such as surgical procedures. In particular, the present technique relates to image-guided surgery employing various radiological modalities.
As medical imaging technologies have matured, it has become possible to combine the use of medical imaging techniques with the performance of invasive procedures. For example, invasive procedures, such as certain surgical procedures, may benefit from the use of imaging techniques that allow a clinician to visualize the internal or obscured structures in the surgical area while the procedure is being performed. In this way, the clinician may perform the desired surgical procedure with a greater chance of success and without unnecessary tissue damage.
In practice, such image-guided surgical techniques typically employ a tracking frame of reference device placed proximate to the anatomy of interest. The reference device moves with the patient to provide accurate and consistent tracking of the anatomy of interest. Typically, the reference device needs to be rigidly secured to the anatomy of interest. As a result, the reference device is generally attached to hard bone near the anatomy of interest. As a result, such image-guided surgical techniques are generally limited to regions in the body bounded by bony anatomy, such as cranial neurosurgery, spine, orthopedic, and sinus procedures.
While such techniques are useful, clearly there are other areas of the body that are not bounded by bony structures and that might also benefit from such image-guided techniques. However, regions of the body that are not bounded by such bony structures, such as cardiac and abdominal regions, currently cannot benefit from such image-guided techniques due to the inability to affix a reference device proximate to the anatomy of interest. Further, many internal organs that might benefit from image-guided surgical techniques can move, such as due to respiration, gravity, and so forth, and therefore, present additional interventional challenges. In addition, even in regions of the anatomy where there is proximate bone, it may not be desirable to attach a reference device to the bone. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a reference technique for image-guided surgical procedures that does not require a reference device affixed to skeletal structures.